Various methods are used to train house pets and to house and secure them during travel or otherwise. For example, dogs are frequently house trained by confining them in a small cage or kennel where they are reluctant to soil their den-like environment. Similarly, many house pets need to be confined during travel so that they do not present a safety hazard or become a nuisance to other travelers. In such instances it is particularly important to have a cage or kennel that is an appropriate size for the animal occupying it. In addition, pets, especially dogs, may grow from small puppies needing a small kennel to large animals needing much larger kennels. In such instances it would be advantageous to have a kennel that is small enough for use with a small puppy or cat, a large kennel for use with a large animal and lightweight enough to be portable and convenient for travel and transport.
While there are several examples of adjustable or expandable kennels none of them provides the versatility that would meet all of these needs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,426 to Panarelli et al. (the '426 patent) describes an expandable enclosure for animals that includes two rigid shells that are slidably connected to a middle portion such that sliding the two rigid portions apart expands the enclosure accordingly. U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,618 to Zarola (the '618 patent) describes a collapsible animal enclosure which includes a “doghouse” portion and a “dog run” portion. The enclosure is formed of a floor portion and a semi-circular upper portion forming a rounded enclosure that can be collapsed telescopically for storage. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,671,697 and 5,960,744, to Rutman (the '697 and 744 patents) describe an expandable cage in which a rigid inner shell is telescopically held within a larger rigid shell.
While the above patents provide expandable animal enclosures their use is limited. For example, the '426 patent provides an enclosure that is relatively heavy and cannot be collapsed or broken down for storage. The '618 patent provides an animal enclosure that, cannot easily be transported, for example, in a car, cannot be broken down for storage and is cumbersome to expand. The '697 and '744 patents provide an animal enclosure that is both rigid and heavy and cannot be collapsed or disassembled for storage.
Thus, a versatile kennel that is adjustable in size, lightweight and can be collapsed and/or disassembled is desirable. Such an enclosure is useful during transport, during the life of a growing animal and can be disassembled for compact storage.